Ingredients (Serves 8-10)
For the Soup
- 4 medium butternut squash, halved and seeded
- 4 shallots, halved
- 2 small heads of garlic, tops sliced off
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) olive oil
- 5 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 6-8 cups chicken stock or bone broth
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) honey
- 1 cup heavy cream (or coconut cream)
For Serving (Optional)
- Extra cream, for drizzling
- Pomegranate seeds
- Chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Toasted sourdough, for dipping
Roast the Vegetables
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper.
Arrange the squash halves cut-side up on the baking sheets. Drizzle or spray them with olive oil and season them with 4 teaspoons of the kosher salt and the 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
Flip the squash halves over so the cut-side is facing down on the pan. This is what helps them caramelize instead of just steaming.
Add the halved shallots to the pan and season them as well.
Roast the Garlic
To roast the garlic, slice the top off each head to expose the cloves.
Place each head on a small piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt, and then wrap them up tightly.
Place the foil packets on the baking sheet with the squash.
Blend the Soup
Roast everything for ~45-60 minutes.
The soup is ready for the next step when the squash is completely fork-tender and the edges are caramelized. Don’t worry if the shallots get very dark – that color adds flavor.
Let the vegetables cool slightly. Scoop the roasted squash flesh into a blender, leaving the skins behind. Add the roasted shallots.
Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and into the blender. Discard the paper skins.
Add 6 cups of the chicken stock and blend until the soup is completely silky smooth.
You will have to do this in batches. When blending hot soup, never fill the blender more than halfway and place a towel over the lid’s vent to let steam escape safely.
Finish and Season the Soup
Pour the puréed soup into a large pot and bring it to a gentle simmer.
Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, the 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 tablespoon of grated ginger, 1/4 cup of honey, and 1 cup of heavy cream.
Let it simmer for a few minutes, then taste it.
This final tasting is the most important step. You may need to adjust with more salt, a bit more ginger, or another touch of honey to get the balance right.
If the soup is thicker than you’d like, stir in more chicken stock until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Serve the Soup
Ladle the hot soup into bowls.
Garnish with a drizzle of cream, pomegranate seeds for a pop of acid, and fresh parsley.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 4 medium butternut squash halved and seeded
- 4 shallots halved
- 2 small heads of garlic tops sliced off
- 1/4 cup olive oil 4 tablespoons
- 5 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 6-8 cups chicken stock or bone broth
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 cup honey 4 tablespoons
- 1 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
For Serving (Optional)
- Extra cream for drizzling
- Pomegranate seeds
- Chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Toasted sourdough for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Halve and seed squash, place cut-side up on sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Slice tops off garlic heads, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil.
- Roast squash, shallots, and garlic for 45-60 minutes until squash is caramelized and tender.
- Cool slightly, scoop squash flesh into blender with roasted shallots and garlic.
- Blend with chicken stock in batches until smooth.
- Transfer to pot, simmer and stir in remaining salt, nutmeg, ginger, honey, and cream.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Thin with additional stock if desired.
- Serve hot with cream drizzle, pomegranate seeds, and parsley.